Plugin author Chad Y. has created a cool little tool for Gmail. It allows you to see which of your friends are currently using their Android device. This is helpful to know when someone might be chatting from their phone instead of a keyboard. Just login to Gmail and enable the feature under Labs.

From Gmail to go Settings > Labs.

A similar feature is also available with the desktop version of Google Talk. Each contact that is signed into their phone will display a little icon next to their avatar. The desktop Google Talk icon isn’t for someone logged in from their phone — it’s indicating someone using their talk account on a VOIP capable device (Thanks Lemon).

Status icons in Gtalk.

And finally (for those who were wondering) an Android status icon is included in the native Google Talk client for Android as well.

Status view from my phone.

Taylor is the founder of Android and Me. He resides in Dallas and carries the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and HTC One as his daily devices. Ask him a question on Twitter or Google+ and he is likely to respond. | Ethics statement

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The desktop google talk icon isn’t for someone logged in from there phone – it’s indicating someone using their talk account on a VOIP capable device.

Click a contact and you’ll see the call button is enabled. For someone without the phone icon the call button is disabled (and returns an error message when clicked) regardless of whether they’re logged in on an Android phone or not…

The desktop google talk icon isn’t for someone logged in from there phone – it’s indicating someone using their talk account on a VOIP capable device.

Click a contact and you’ll see the call button is enabled. For someone without the phone icon the call button is disabled (and returns an error message when clicked) regardless of whether they’re logged in on an Android phone or not…